Weaving machine



May 19, 1942. E, B. MOORE wEAvING MACHINE 4:y Sheets-Sheet l Filed Deb. 14, 1959 W 0 RM. m M# ,m y

ATTORNEYS May 179, 1942- E. B. MOORE. 2,283,870

' WE1-WING MACHINE l Filed Dec. 14, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 v'-INVENTOR BY TM' `ATTORNEYS May 19, 1942. E. B. MOORE WEAVING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Filed Dec. 14, 1939 4 Sheets--Sl'xeel 4 BY fng ATTORNEYS wire.

Patented May 19, 1942 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE' WEAVING MACHINE Everett B. Moore, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Wonder Weave,

Incorporated, Bridgeport,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 14, 1939, Serial No. 309,176

Claims.

weaving may be performed, especially with the `use of a resilient wire as the filling or weft thread. This is accomplished, according to the present invention, by employing a fabric warp and inserting the wire through the sheds of the warp to project from the edge thereof to provide a filling in the form of loops in the fabric, as distinguished from a filling which is looped about the edge of the warp on each working thrust of the shuttle or feeding device.

A feature of the present invention is the use of a reciprocating needle moving in a straight line perpendicular to the axis of the web for carrying the wire through the sheds of the warp, and a cooperating pin which forms the wire into the loop without the use of selvage thread.

The wire preferably used is resilient spring In order to prevent an undue load to be applied to the needle, as when the needle is required to withdraw the material from the spool in its normal manner, the present invention provides a positive feed for the filling material. This positive feed, by using an adjustable drive for the supply, can be regulated so that it will properly feed the filling or weft thread to the needle as required.

In order to maintain the tension on the'wire, the present invention provides a combined takeup and tension device, intermediate the supply and the needle, which regulates the tension on the wire and amount of wire in the loop `as it is laid in the warp. Y

Another feature of the invention is the use of a straight reed which is reciprocated in the direction of the warp threads for beating up the fabric and compressing the wire loops in the fabric between the sheds of the warp. When the wire loops are compressed in this manner, they will retain their position in the woven fabric without requiring the use of a selvage thread to hold them imposition.

In the preferred form of the invention, the loops of the wire extend through the warp and project from one edge of the strip. The projecting portion of the loop will, of course, be of a width greater than that of the loop which passes through the strip and is compressed by the warp.

In the broader aspects of the'invention, other materialsthan wire can be utilized to form a Y woven tape having loops projecting therefrom.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the specification Iand claims'when considered in connection with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sideelevational view of the ma chine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Figure '1. I

Fig. 3 is a'fragmentary view of the machin showing the feeding needle at the end of its forward stroke.

Fig. 4 is a vieW similar to Fig. 3, showing theI needle at the end of its working stroke and in its normal position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the relation of the needle, looping pin and straight reed.

Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of the mechanism for reciprocating the needle.

Fig. '7 shows a detailed sectional view of the needle mounting.

Fig. 8 shows a detailed view of the weft or filling feeding means.

Fig. 9 shows a detailed view of the woven strip.

As shown in lthe drawings, only the forward part of the machine having the operating mechanismthereon is illustrated.

In Figure 1, the Warp lll leads finto the machine from a warp beam or creel (not shown). The warp passes through a shedding mechanism Il mounted on frame I2 and sheds are formed therein in any suitable manner. As herein illustrated, this is accomplished by passing the warp three-.d s through heddles of vertically moving harness means I3 arranged to slide inguides it on the frame, the harness being driven through links it, i9 from al rocker Z0 operated through a link from a crank pin 22 driven from the main drive shaft l5 of the machine.

Leaving the shedding means, the Warps pass through the weavingstation 23 where fillings 2li,

in the form of loops dug., 5), are inserted in` form. As herein illustrated, it comprises a guide:

roller 3| journaled on the frame and over which the woven fabric passes to a friction drum 32 which is mounted in a fixed bearing 33 on the frame.

After passing around a large part of the surface oi' the drum, the web passes under and around a bite roller 34 which is rotatably carried by arms 35 pivoted to the frame so as to press the web against the friction drum. As the woven fabric passes around the bite roller, a pivotally mounted pressure roller 36 bears against it and presses it into engagement with the bite roller so as to insure proper feeding of the woven fabric. The pressure roller also tends to fiatten out the fabric if necessary. The woven fabric is then led to a suitable storage device not shown.

The friction drum is driven from the main drive shaft I in timed relation to the operation of the other elements of the machine through suitable gearing 31.

The filling material employed in the Preferred form of the invention is fine, resilient spring wire, although other materials may be utilized. The filling, as has been indicated, is placed in each shed formed in the warp in a loop which extends through from one side of the fabric and is held in place until a reed 38 beats up this loop andthe harness shifts the warp to bind in the loop and also provide another shed.

A novel mechanism is provided for forming the loops in the sheds. This comprises a straight needle lill, as shown in Fig. 5, for carrying and guiding the wire through the warp. In'order to reduce the friction of the filling material or wire passing over the needle during this operation, I provide the needle with a slot 4I ln its forward end 40a, and mount a pair of rollers 42, 43 therein and about which the wire passes. 'I'he other end 40h of the needle is bent at substantially a right angle and is secured by a screw 44 in a socket in a carriage 45 slidably mounted on a tubular member 46 having a shoulder 46a. at one end.

The tubular member is rigidly supported at one end by the frame. The carriage 45 is held in proper position on the member by being secured, by a pair of screws 41, to a block 48 sliding within the tubular member. The tubular member 46 is cut away at 46h, as shown in Fig. 5, to receive the block.

'Ihe carriage is normally urged to the right, in Fig. 5, by suitable means. In the preferred form of the invention, a coiled spring 39 surrounding the tubular member abuts at one end against a collar 5B secured adjacent one end of the tubular member, while the other end acts against the carriage.

The carriage is moved against this spring by means of a belt 5|, or flexible element, connected by a suitable connector 52 to the block. The belt passes through tubular member 46 and about a pulley 53 located at the end of the tubular member. The pulley, as illustrated in Fig. 5, is carried -by a bracket 54 secured to the tubular member. The other end of the belt is connected to an operating member herein illustrated as an eccentric pin 56 mounted on a plate 51 about which a loop 58 of the belt is disposed. If desired, an adjustable connector 59 can be inserted in the belt to adjust the same to compensate for the stretch of the belt or different desired positions of the needle.

As shown in Figure 1, the eccentricity of the pin is adjustable by moving the pin along a slot 6l in the plate to alter the throw of the belt, and,

consequently, the movement of the needle. The pin is locked in position on the plate, as shown in Fig. 6, by means of a nut 8| clamping the pin in position. The plate is driven through suitable gearing 32 from the main drive shaft so that it operates the needle in predetermined timed relation with respect to and in coordination with the other elements of the machine.

In order to absorb the shock of the rebound movement of the carriage when returned to normal position, a buffer spring 63 is located within the tubular Amember to engage the block carrying the needle. 'I'he pressure of this buffer spring is regulated by a bolt 84 threaded in the end of the tubular member. l

If desired, suitable lubricating means can be associated with the carriage and tubular member toapply lubrication for the carriage in its movement along the support.

Thus, it will be seen, the operation of the dis will cause the filling needle to be rapidly moved through the sheds in the Warp with a straight line reciprocating movement which is at right angles to the axis of the warp to quickly form loops in the sheds. I have found that this movement of the needle greatly increases the speed at which the machine can be operated.

In order that the wire can be readily formed into loops in each shed, the present invention provides a looping pin 10, preferably curved as shown in Fig. 5. The pin is located in spaced relation with the edge of the Woven fabric and is carried by a vertically movable carriage 1l. Because of its curved relation, it will .be projected. when the carriage is raised, into the path of movement 0f the filling carried by the needle as it passes through the shed in the warp. The vertical movement is imparted to the carriageby means of a bell crank lever 12 operated by a cam 13 on the drive shaft. As is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the pin is so disposed with respect to the needle that the wire is intercepted as the needle completes its forward movement and forms a loop in the shed in the warp as the needle moves back on its return stroke.

As is shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the needle is secured to a shaft 14 carried by a block 15 disposed on the end of a rod 16 passing through the frame. The block and needle carried thereby are urged into retracted position by means of a spring 16a surrounding the rod and disposed between an abutment 11 on the end of the rod and the frame. The end of the bell crank lever 12 engages the end of the rod and lifts it against the action of the spring to move the pin into a vertical path of movement of the wire carried by the filling needle.

In order to insure release of the pin from the loop and prevent damaging of the woven fabric, should the fabric be moved forward before the pin is released from the loop, the present invention provides for yieldingly rotatably mounting the shaft 14 carrying the pin in the block against the action of a coil spring 18 having one end anchored to the frame at 19, and the other end secured to a, pin carried by the shaft. The looping pin is normally held in the desired vertical position by means of the spring urging a part thereof into engagement with a stop 8l on the frame. This limits its backward movement while permitting the pin to rotate with the shaft against the action of the spring, during forward movement dueto the moving fabric.

Thus it will be seen I have provided a novel filling and loop-forming mechanism which will quickly and satisfactorily form the loops of filling in the woven fabric without requiring a selvage thread, or the like, to be passed therethrough. f

While I have described the formation of loops projecting from one edge only, in the broader aspects ofthe invention the loops can be made to project from either edge of the woven fabric by employing a looping needle on both sides of the warp. Furthermore, while I have indicated the use of fine spring wire as the filling material, it is to be understood that in the broader aspects of the present invention any suitable filling material can be used during the weaving operation. For example, textile tapes, having looped fringes projecting beyond the edge thereof, can be formed with this machine. l

Instead of feeding the lling from a supply by means of the operation of the needle, as has been the prior practice, I have found that, especially when using wire as a filling material, it is advantageous to positively feed the material to the needle. This eliminates the placing of great loads on the filling needle by the mass of theA filling material when unwinding or otherwise withdrawing it from the supply.

Accordingly, I have provided means, driven in timed relation with thek machine, for positively feeding the wire to the filling needle. As shown in Figure 8, this supply means includes a vertical reel comprising a flat plate 82 secured to the shaft 02a journaled in a bearing of the arm 03 pivotally mounted on the frame. A plurality of arms 8,53 project upwardly therefrom and are locked in radial adjustment by nutilda, as is usual in the art, to form a core over which a coil of wire 05 can be positioned.

The lower end of the reel shaft is provided with a tapered pulley 80 having a roughened drive surface to receive a drive belt 'l driven by a pulley 88 from the drive shaft. As shown in Fig. 8, a spring 08a, anchored to the frame at 88h, is connected to the arm 83 and moves the shaft and pulley in a direction to maintain the belt under proper tension.

The speed of the reel can be varied over a wide range by adjusting the position of the beltalong the tapered surface of the pulley on the reel shaft, thus insuring a proper feed of the material. While this adjustment may be accomplished in many ways, in the preferred form of the invention a belt-engaging member 89 is connected to a threaded shaft 90 mounted in hearings 9| on the frame and held against rotation by a pin or set screw Sila engaging a slot 92 in the shaft. Disposed above the upper bearing, so as to rest thereon, is a handwheel 93 having its hub formed as a nut threaded on the shaft. A spring 32a, carried by the shaft, urges the handwheel into engagement with the bearing. Rotation of the handwheel will cause the shaft to be raised or lowered, according to the direction of rotation, thus moving the belt with-respect to the pulley.

When the supply is rotated to feed the filling material to the filling needle, the material is taken from the periphery of the reel and not over the end of the reel so that there will be no false twists in the material, and it will feed evenly into the machine. This is very important where stiff, resilient spring wire is employed as the false twist would cause the wire to whip and jam the machine.

A suitable guide means 94 is mounted on the support for the reel and includes a flexible tubular member 95 through which the wire is led as it passes from the reel. This guide is so disposed that the wire from the reel will be fed in a proper position to be received by the needle.

In order to properly tension the material and maintain the wire taut during, the operation of the needle in forming the loop, I have provided, between the supply and needle, a take-up and tension mechanism. The tensioning means comprises a plate 95 mounted on the frame and having an upstanding post 96 in the center and a pair of ears 91, 98, upstanding at each edge thereof, carrying guide eyes 09, |00 through which the wire passes.

A pair of disks lill, |02 are mounted on the post in a position to engage the wire passing through the eyes 99, |00, and a spring |03 presses the disks into engagement with the wire and retards rotation of the disk in order to provide a suitable tension on the wire. The pressure of the spring may be controlled by the adjustable collar |04 on the post. The wire, after leaving the tensioning device, passes through suitable slack take-up means.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, this slack takeup means comprises a spring arm |05 having a loop |06 formed on one end thereof and through which the wire passes. 'Ihe other end of the arm is coiled about a post |07 and anchored by a collar |00 which may be adjusted so that the' eye normally is urged to the position shown in Fig. 4 to take up the slack, by forming a slight loop in the filling material, when the needle is making its return'stroke and yielding to theposition shown in Fig. l3 during the forward stroke of the needle to give up this material in the loop.

It will be seen thus that the tension of the material will be sufficient to hold the wire taut, after the operation of the filling needle, while the take-up mechanism prevents slack in the filling material during the return operation of the needle while forming the loop in the web.

After the loops have been formed in the web,

' the reed 38 is moved into engagement with the filling so as to compress the loops and hold them close until the harness has been operated to provide another shed in the warp.

When the next shed in the warp has been produced, the warp threads will have shifted position so as to engage the edge of the previ-l ously formed loop,.and w-ill confine and bind the loop in its compressed condition. The resiliency of the wire will, therefore, cause the sides of the loop to press against the warp threads so as to resist movement of the loops in the woven fabric, as shown in Fig. 9.

I have discovered that by employing a straight reed when wire is used that the woven fabric` does not have a tendency to curve, but will lie flat. AIn the preferred form of the invention, the reed comprises a at plate-like member having a plurality of slots H2 therein through which the warp threads pass.

The reed, which is mounted on the end of a rod H3 by means of a screw lill, is reciprocated with a straight motion in the direction of the fabric. This is accomplished by supporting the rod in suitable bearings l l5 so as to extend und-er the woven fabric in the direction of its length, and reciprocating the rod in any desired manner. In the preferred form of the invention, the rod has secured thereon a follower I6 having a long groove i|| to receive a roller IIB mounted on a plate H9 secured to a shaft |20 mounted in a bearing |24 on the frame. The plate ||9 is of irregular shape, as shown in Figure 1, and is so 'driven through a crank arm |24 from an eccentric |25 driven by the main shaft. This will cause the shaft to oscillate back and forth, which movement will cause the roller ||8 to reciprocate the rod. Thus it will be seen that the reed will be operated from the main shaft in timed relation with the operation of the needle and feeding mechanism.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a novel mechanism for weaving still. webs incorporating a resilient filler without the use of a selvage or tying strand along the looped edge thereof.-

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. In a weaving machine, means for producing sheds in a warp sheet; a filling needle; a tubular support for mounting the filling needle; means for urging the needle to a normal position on the support; and flexible means within the support for moving the needle disposed therearound against the urging means to carry the needle transversely of the warp through a shed therein and for returning the needle to its normal position whereby a loop of lling material is formed in each shed.

2. In a weaving machine, means for producing sheds in a warp sheet; and means forming a loop of filling material in each shed of the warp including a filling needle reciprocating in a straight line transversely of the warp, and a looping pin movable into the path of movement of the filling material for temporarily intercepting the filling carried through the Warp by the needle during each reciprocation thereof, said pin being yieldingly mounted for movement only in the direction of movement of the Woven fabric as it passes outwardly from the machine to be released therefrom and to prevent injury to the fabric during movement of the fabric while the pin remains in the filling loop.

3. In a weaving machine, means for producing sheds in a warp sheet; means forming a loop of filling material in each shed of the warp including a iilling needle movable transversely of the warp; and means for positively feeding a filling material to the filling needle, said means including a rotatable supply of filling material and an adjustable variable speed drive for rotating the same.

4. In a weaving machine, means for producing sheds in a warp sheet; a supply of stiff, resilient filling material; neans forming a loop of filling material in each shed of the warp including a filling needle movable transversely of the warp: means for rotating the supply of filling material and positively feeding filling material therefrom toward the needle without any false twist therein; and means disposed between the last-named means and the needle for taking up slack in the filling material.

6. In a weaving machine, means for producing sheds in a warp sheet; a needle normally located at one side of the warp sheet; means for urging the needle to its normal position; and means including an actuator disposed on the side of the machine opposite said normal position and a flexible member extending across the machine and connected to the needle to be operated by said actuating member to apply a force in one direction for moving the needle against the urging means to carry it to the other side of the warp sheet, and for allowing the urging means to return it to its normal position wherein a loop of filling material is formed in each shed of the warp.

7. In a weaving machine, means for producing sheds in a warp sheet; Va needle normally located at one side of the warp sheet; means for urging the needle to its normal position; means including a flexible member extending across the machine in a plane displaced from the plane of the warp sheet and connected to the needle to apply a force thereto in one direction for moving the needle against the urging means to carry it to the other side of the warp sheet and for allowing the urging means to return it to its normal position wherein a loop of filling material is formed in each shed of the warp; and buffer means for absorbing the shock of the needle when moved to normal position by the urging means,

8. In a weaving machine, means for producing sheds in a warp sheet; a filling needle; a longitudinally extending fixed support for slidably mounting the needle; means for urging the needle to a normal position on the support; flexible means connected to said needle and extending along the support; means for drawing the flexible means in the direction of movement of the needle and moving the needle against the urging means to carry the needle transversely of the warp through a shed therein, said needle being returned to its normal position by the urging means whereby a loop of filling material is formed in each shed,

9. In a weaving machine, means for producing sheds in a warp sheet; means forming a loop of filling material in each shed of the Warp including a filling needle reciprocating in a straight line transversely of the warp for a distance greater than the width of the warp; loop-retaining means including a pin spaced from the edge ofthe warp and pivotally mounted for movement parallel to the edge of the warp; said pin being yieldably held in position to engage the filling to form the loop projecting from the edge of the warp for each reciprocation of the needle; and a reed movable to compress said loops, said loopretaining means including a stop for holding said v pin against movement in the direction of the reed whereby the filling material is properly positioned during the action of the reed, said pin being movable against the yielding means in the direction of movement of the fabric from the machine.v

10. In a loom having means for forming a loop of filling in each shed of warp and a reed for compressing said loop, a loop-retaining means comprising a pin located in spaced relation to the edge of the warp; a support for the pin movable to advance said pin into the path of movement of the filling means and to retract the pin therefrom: means for yieldingly mounting the pin on 'the support for movement parallel to .the edge of the warp and against movement toward the edge of the warp; and, stop means for engaging andV holding the pin against movement in' 

